proper paint for Magnum 500 re-do?

[lloyd3]

I know it's not gloss, so either semi-gloss or flat black, and I'm leaning towards flat.  It's not Organosol by any chance?  I read an article on the subject in a magazine a few years ago and I can't remember much more about it than that.  It's likely been covered here before as well, but I can't find it.

[charger Downunder]

I painted mine satin black it looks good, you can get a paint stencil kit as well to speed up the process, if not use some fine line masking tape.

[lloyd3]

Is satin the same as semi-gloss?  I think it might be.

[bill440rt]

Lloyd, are you restoring the chrome Magnum 500's or road wheels?
The center recessed areas on Magnum 500's are painted satin black, SEM Trim Black would be a good choice. The rest of the wheel is all chrome including the backsides. No need for a stencil kit if you are good with handling fine line tape.
Road wheels are a completely different animal and actually used two different kinds of black.

[ODZKing]

I just did mine over the winter.  Dupli-color trim black.  Very affordable and sticks very well to anything.  Has primer in it I'm told.

[bill440rt]

ODZKing, not to hijack the thread but what did you do to restore the backsides of those wheels? 
Factory, they are a combination of painting & chrome plating (the centers were chromed, then welded in, then the outer rim only was painted up to the weld bead).

[ODZKing]

ODZKing, not to hijack the thread but what did you do to restore the backsides of those wheels? 
Factory, they are a combination of painting & chrome plating (the centers were chromed, then welded in, then the outer rim only was painted up to the weld bead).

Lightly sanded and undercoat.

[lloyd3]

Bill:  They're the original 14-inch chrome Magnum 500s (all chrome, no trim ring).

[bill440rt]

Bill:  They're the original 14-inch chrome Magnum 500s (all chrome, no trim ring).

[resq302]

ODZKing, not to hijack the thread but what did you do to restore the backsides of those wheels? 
Factory, they are a combination of painting & chrome plating (the centers were chromed, then welded in, then the outer rim only was painted up to the weld bead).

Bill,

What do you mean?  Was there a different sheen black used for the backside of the rims?  I know for 69 with the trim rings, they had the painted faces behind the trim rings.

[ODZKing]

No one sees the back side so to simply keep them from rusting since that side doesn't really get cared for, I undercoated them.
Is that what your asking Brian?

ODZKing, not to hijack the thread but what did you do to restore the backsides of those wheels? 
Factory, they are a combination of painting & chrome plating (the centers were chromed, then welded in, then the outer rim only was painted up to the weld bead).

Bill,

What do you mean?  Was there a different sheen black used for the backside of the rims?  I know for 69 with the trim rings, they had the painted faces behind the trim rings.

[bill440rt]

ODZKing, not to hijack the thread but what did you do to restore the backsides of those wheels?  
Factory, they are a combination of painting & chrome plating (the centers were chromed, then welded in, then the outer rim only was painted up to the weld bead).

Bill,

What do you mean?  Was there a different sheen black used for the backside of the rims?  I know for 69 with the trim rings, they had the painted faces behind the trim rings.

Brian,
The process for road wheels was different than Magnums. As you know, Magnums are just completely chromed and only the recessed areas painted satin black. Backside is chrome as well.
This is what I've seen from my research with road wheels, and as you know I've been looking at a LOT of them!  
The wheel center was chromed prior to welding into the wheel hoop. Like the Magnums the recesses were also painted satin black. However, the black on the rest of the wheel hoop area was gloss black. This gloss black also extended onto the chrome wheel spokes about 3/8" - 1/2" around the wheel perimeter.
On the backside, the wheel center was just left flash chromed and rusted fairly quickly. The gloss black paint is also found on the backside on the hoop, and usually extends up to and sometimes slightly beyond the weld bead. It is not a hard masked line, it fades out as a rough overspray line. The center was left flash chromed, these days it could be well preserved or heavily rusted depending on the condition of the wheel.
Attached are pics of a wheel that I just found, part of a date coded set that I've been on the hunt for my '70 for about 3 years now. The set was stored in a garage since '74. I have other wheels as well in similar condition, all bearing the same traits. Some of them even have heavy red drips of paint on the insides, a tell tale sign of sloppy red brake drum paint being applied prior to the wheel being installed on the assembly line. The red paint was applied so heavily it dripped onto the inside of the wheel.
The first pic shows the satin black recessed areas, and gloss black on the rim.
Second pic shows the gloss black around the wheel center (a soft paint line, not a hard-edged masked line). The contrast of black is also visible.
Third pic is an overview shot of the backside, chrome is clearly visible on the wheel center.
Fourth pic is a close up of the gloss black wheel blackout paint fade edge on the backside of the wheel.
 

[resq302]

I always thought they were just referred to as Road Wheels as the Magnum 500 was a brand.  I did know about that black "lip" on the spoked side as I have always replaced that whenever I restored the rims.  The backside I always painted black as they were rusted and figured that was just painted black and the heat caused the paint to flake off.   

Never knew it was two different sheens.   

[lloyd3]

I was going to replace these wheels, but now that I've cleaned them up a little and repainted the inserts I'm thinking that these will be just fine. Thanks folks.   

FWIW: What year did the all-chrome Magnum 500s end and the trim-ring 500s begin?

[bill440rt]

Magnum 500's 1968-earlier.
Road Wheels 1969-up.

[resq302]

with 1969 being a one year only trim ring.

[ODZKing]

with 1969 being a one year only trim ring.

Really, now I didn't know that.  OK ... difference?

[lloyd3]

So......a properly restored 68 R/T should be wearing full chrome Magnum 500s?

[resq302]

with 1969 being a one year only trim ring.

Really, now I didn't know that.  OK ... difference?

in 1969 they mounted to the outside edge of the rim similar to what a wheel weight would.  There were only 4 of them and tended to pop off easily.  There was also a lip on the inner edge of the trim ring where it met the spoked part of the center of the rim.  VERY hard to find in ANY condition.

[HeavyFuel]

So......a properly restored 68 R/T should be wearing full chrome Magnum 500s?

If the block was checked....yes.

[lloyd3]

I always thought "Road Wheels" were the silver and grey, scalloped-edge spoked steel wheels that you always saw on the Challengers.  They had the little center dish-shaped center caps?  Now that I think of it , weren't they called "Rally Wheels"?

[resq302]

Yes, those were rallye wheels.